Black Country Orange Chips
Chunky, fluffy potato chips coated in a crisp, lightly spiced orange-tinted batter. A legendary Black Country chip shop staple.
- Prep
- 25 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 45 min
- Servings
- 4
- Difficulty
- Medium
- Calories
- 480 kcal
Equipment
- •Deep-fat fryer or deep heavy saucepan
- •Large saucepan
- •Slotted spoon or spider strainer
- •Mixing bowl
- •Whisk
- •Kitchen paper
Nutrition
Per serving, approximate
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- fat
- 21 g
- carbs
- 68 g
- fibre
- 5 g
- protein
- 7 g
- calories
- 480 kcal
Instructions
- 1
Cut the peeled potatoes into thick, chunky chips around 1.5cm wide.
- 2
Place chips into a large saucepan of cold salted water on the hob.
- 3
Bring to the boil and parboil (cook partially) for 5 minutes until just softening.
- 4
Drain thoroughly and spread the chips onto a clean tea towel to dry and cool completely.
- 5
Whisk together plain flour, cornflour, baking powder, paprika, turmeric, garlic powder, and salt in a bowl.
- 6
Pour in cold sparkling water and orange food colouring, whisking briefly until a smooth, thick batter forms.
- 7
Heat the vegetable oil in a deep pan or deep-fat fryer to 180°C.
- 8
Working in batches, dip the cooled chips into the batter to coat thoroughly.
- 9
Carefully lower the battered chips into the hot oil, frying for 4 to 5 minutes until crisp and bright orange.
- 10
Lift out with a slotted spoon onto kitchen paper to drain excess oil.
- 11
Sprinkle immediately with sea salt and malt vinegar while piping hot, then serve straight away.
Chef's tips
Ensure the parboiled chips are completely dry and cool before battering, otherwise the coating will slide off during frying. Keep the oil temperature steady at 180°C so the batter crisps up quickly without absorbing excess oil.
Ingredient substitutions
- cold sparkling water → cold light ale or chilled tap water
- Maris Piper potatoes → King Edward or Russet potatoes
Storage
Orange chips are best enjoyed immediately, but leftovers keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.
Reheating
Reheat on a baking tray in a preheated fan oven at 200°C for 8 to 10 minutes until crisp.
Common mistakes to avoid
- •Dipping warm or wet chips into the batter, which causes the coating to slip off.
- •Overcrowding the frying pan, which drops the oil temperature and makes batter soggy.
- •Whisking the batter too vigorously, which overworks gluten and makes the crust heavy.
Serving suggestions
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